I've had a dreadful afternoon and been kicking myself so much that I'm coming here for some perspective.
In brief- both the neighbouring flat across the landing and my flat went on the market this week, theirs a few days before ours. It's just a coincidence with the timing that we both want to sell right now. They want to move as quickly as possible so they can offer on a place they really want and we have-hopefully- a bit more time. I should add the neighbours are just lovely and we get on extremely well.
I'd say both flats are nice but not at all identical. Theirs is 2 bedroom, quite a different kitchen & bathroom and they have a room off the kitchen which they use as a study in what used to be the traditional tenement bathroom space, so it's kind of quirky. Their property has been valued as £10k less than ours and they are on at offers over at £15k less than our asking- so a bit cheaper. Our third bedroom is a single and has been used as a study in the past.
So I had a viewer phone to make an appointment first thing in the morning the day after ours went up and he mentioned they had driven round the neighbourhood and "seen next door". Our sign was not up at that point. "Oh," I said, "have you viewed it then?" "Oh no, no, no, not at all," the guy said. At which point I opened my mouth and the Stupid fell out. I said, "oh maybe you should, then, I know they are around this weekend". Whereupon he said yes, great idea and rang immediately to make the appointment.
I honestly don't know what came over me. I guess I figured they might view it anyway and it would be better to cut to the chase before we were strung along and then disappointed if they viewed next door later on & changed their minds. (Read:over thinking things way too much).
The viewers came here & seemed to really like it, apparently-they went on and on about about how lovely it was, asked me what I was looking for price wise blah blah blah. I half expected them to offer just as soon as the offices reopened after the weekend. They are in rented and want to move pretty quickly.
Then they went next door. And today they went back for a second viewing, with their parents in tow, next door. They didn't come back here. :(
I'd be delighted for my neighbours if they get an offer-and if the buyers do like their flat better for whatever reason, well so be it. But I feel a bit gutted all the same, since I suspect if I had kept my big mouth shut, they might just have been offering for here. It didn't help that the whole afternoon we only had one other viewer whose house isn't even on the market yet... Sigh.